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Does paying statement earlier make any difference?

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Instead of waiting until the end of the month to pay the credit card statement off in full what would happen if i paid it earlier than the due date.
Would this make any difference on credit files, Does the credit file record a payment made before the due date?

I heard a rumour that paying earlier improves credit rating by recording a zero balance when the statement arrives and does not list payments made before the due date however I'm not sure that this is true based on the source of the Information.
Can anyone confirm?

Comments

  • MEM62
    MEM62 Posts: 5,285 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It will make no difference.  
  • I always pay mine before the due date, sometimes I'll make multiple payments each month, makes absolutely no difference.
    Mortgage started 2020, aiming to clear 31/12/2029.
  • sourcrates
    sourcrates Posts: 31,389 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Name Dropper
    Your payment is recorded as either on time, or late, there is no marker for paying early.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter
  • Ebe_Scrooge
    Ebe_Scrooge Posts: 7,320 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 21 September 2022 at 5:16PM
    Instead of waiting until the end of the month to pay the credit card statement off in full what would happen if i paid it earlier than the due date.

    I heard a rumour that paying earlier improves credit rating by recording a zero balance when the statement arrives
    You need to be clear about what you're asking here.  In the normal course of things, your statement arrives, shows a balance, and you have approximately 3 weeks until the "payment due" date.  As long as you pay the statement in full, on or before the due date, all is well, and you get a nice green tick added to your credit history.  It makes no odds if you pay it the moment the statement arrives, or leave it until the last minute (though it's wise to pay a day or two before the due date at the latest, just in case of any IT glitches or something silly like that - unless you're paying by DD).
    But, to your second statement ... you can make a payment to the card at any time.  If you were to look online, check your balance and clear it the day before the statement is produced (produced, not arrived in your letterbox), and make no further transactions, then you'll receive a statement showing a zero balance.  Not a problem in itself, but it'll be reported as a zero balance.  So it will look like you're not using the card (as far as your credit record goes).  Again, not a problem as such, but you're then losing the benefit of building up a good history (i.e. using the card regularly and always repaying in full).  So doing that won't improve your credit rating.  It won't harm it either, but you're missing out on building up lots of nice green ticks on your record.
    So there's no need to overthink it - wait for the statement to arrive, pay in full at some point between the statement landing on your doormat and the "payment due" date.  Job's a good-un.
  • phillw
    phillw Posts: 5,663 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 21 September 2022 at 5:23PM
    I heard a rumour that paying earlier improves credit rating by recording a zero balance when the statement arrives and does not list payments made before the due date however I'm not sure that this is true based on the source of the Information.
    They report the monthly payments separately, so even if the balance was 0 then it would show you were paying money off & so they could see how much you were spending.

    It would look very weird. I'm not sure it's particularly useful.
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